What Start Chemistry does

Start Química (legally Lima e Pergher Indústria e Comércio S/A) is a Brazilian manufacturer of cleaning, sanitization, and personal hygiene chemical products founded in 1987 by chemical engineer Fábio Pergher in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. It is the flagship and largest operating company of the privately held Lima & Pergher Group, a diversified Brazilian conglomerate. The company produces more than 2,500 SKUs across 20+ consumer and professional brands (including Azulim, Tuff, Asseptgel, Polylar, Vorel, Start PRO, Galeno, Qualifood, Qualimilk, Bianco, Free Pet and Aquapool), serving three primary end markets: residential consumers, professional/institutional buyers in food processing, dairy, meat, mining, hospitality, healthcare, automotive and agriculture, and personal-care consumers. Core technology centers on proprietary chemical formulations (sodium percarbonate active-oxygen systems, quaternary ammonium disinfectants, 70% alcohol antiseptics, surfactants and solvents) developed in an in-house R&D department created in 2010.

The company operates a vertically integrated industrial footprint in Uberlândia spanning the original Industrial District (26,446 m² acquired 1999/2000), the Repet packaging factory (5,277 m², opened 2007), the Revalor recycling center (8,541 m², opened 2012), three distribution centers plus a 76,225 m² storage unit, and the new Anel Viário factory complex on a 250,000 m² land bank currently under construction. A second sales office in Goiânia supports the national direct field sales force, complemented by the Unishop partner-store channel reaching independent retailers. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across consumer, professional/institutional, and personal-care lines, plus internal packaging manufacturing; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set at retail. The company is family-controlled under President Fábio Pergher and Vice President Marcos Pergher, with no institutional external investors, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue figure; it ranks among the top 10 players in Brazil's cleaning products sector and employs approximately 4,900 direct and indirect collaborators.

Name

Start Chemistry

Legal name

Lima e Pergher Indústria e Comércio S/A

Website

https://startquimica.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Start Química is a Brazilian manufacturer of cleaning, sanitization, and personal hygiene chemicals founded in 1987 in Uberlândia, producing 2,500+ products across 20+ brands for residential, professional/institutional, and personal-care customers in Brazil and South America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Household & Industrial Cleaning Products

NAICS

Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256), Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611), Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing (325612)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Kitchen & Countertop Cleaners & Degreasers (CRAJACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Laundry Detergents & Boosters (Liquid/Powder/PODS, Enzymes, Bleach Alternatives) (CRADAKAA), Hand Sanitizers & Antibacterial Personal Care (CRADANAI), Water & Home System Care (Water Softeners, Septic Treatments, Drain/Openers, Appliance Cleaners) (CRADAKAK), Deodorants & Antiperspirants (CRADANAA)

Keywords

• Cleaning chemicals manufacturing
• Industrial sanitation products
• Household cleaning supplies
• Institutional hygiene solutions
• Personal care antiseptics

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio De Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Cleaning Products: Sale of cleaning products for residential use including disinfectants, detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners, multi-surface cleaners, and specialized products for bathrooms, kitchens, floors, laundry, and outdoor areas.
2. Professional/Institutional Products: Sale of professional cleaning and sanitation products for businesses and institutions including food industry, dairy companies, meat processing, mining, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, offices, automotive sector, and agricultural operations.
3. Personal Care Products: Personal care product lines including body and bath products, children's line, hair care, hand and foot care, and antiseptic products (Asseptgel brand).
4. Custom Packaging Manufacturing: The company manufactures its own packaging materials (Repet packaging factory), providing vertical integration and reducing dependency on external suppliers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Start Chemistry (Start Química) manufactures and sells cleaning chemicals, sanitizing products, disinfectants, detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners, multi-surface cleaners, and personal hygiene products under 20+ brands and 2,500+ SKUs. The company serves three distinct segments: home/residential consumers (brands such as Azulim and Tuff), professional/institutional buyers (Start PRO, Vorel, Galeno, Qualifood, Qualimilk), and personal care consumers (Asseptgel, Bianco, Biohair). It operates vertically integrated manufacturing including its own packaging factory (Repet) and a recycling center (Revalor).

Product overview

Start Química (Start Chemistry) is a Brazilian chemical cleaning and hygiene products company and the first/largest company within the Lima & Pergher Group. Founded in 1987 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, the company operates one of Brazil's most comprehensive cleaning product portfolios with over 20 brands and 2,500+ products. The portfolio includes household cleaning brands (Azulim, Tuff), personal hygiene/antiseptics (Asseptgel), professional/institutional cleaning (Vorel, Start PRO, Galeno), laundry care (Tuff, Polylar), automotive aesthetics (Indy, Indy Cryl), floor treatment (Polylar, Maximoom), pool maintenance (Aquapool), food/dairy industry hygiene (Qualifood, Qualimilk), pet care (Free Pet), oral care (Bianco), air fresheners (ONLY), and specialty products. Products serve home, company (professional/institutional), and personal care segments across automotive, bathroom, kitchen, laundry, floors, offices, bedrooms, gourmet areas, and outdoor areas. The company manufactures its own packaging through the Repet subsidiary and operates extensive industrial facilities including a new 250,000 m² factory complex. Since 1987, the company has grown to rank among Brazil's top 10 cleaning product manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Azulim: Home cleaning brand offering porcelain tile cleaners, mold removers, degreasers, disinfectants, and cleaning products.
• Asseptgel
• Tuff
• Pedrex
• Maximoom
• Vorel
• Alumil
• Polylar
• GelÁlcool
• Mágico
• Free Pet
• Qualifood
• Qualimilk
• Start PRO
• Galeno
• FogoGel
• ONLY
• Biohair
• BIO. T
• Biokidz
• Dryfix
• Indy Pro
• Indy Cryl
• Blushave
• Aquapool
• Bianco

Products and services

• Azulim Major household cleaning brand offering porcelain tile cleaners, mold removers, gel cleaners, rust removers, degreasers, stainless steel polishes, disinfectants, and multi-purpose cleaners for residential consumers.
• Tuff Laundry care brand featuring concentrated detergents, fabric softeners, sodium percarbonate stain removers, and iron-free spray products for professional and consumer laundry care.
• Asseptgel Personal hygiene and antisepsis brand including antiseptic hand sanitizers, 70% alcohol wet wipes, foam soaps with triclosan, and chlorhexidine antiseptic sprays.
• Vorel Professional/institutional cleaning brand offering disinfectants with bactericidal action tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella choleraesuis, garbage bags, flake caustic soda, and industrial cleaning products.
• Start PRO Professional-grade cleaning and hygiene product line for institutional and commercial customers.
• Galeno Professional cleaning solutions for hospitals and healthcare companies with formulations meeting healthcare facility hygiene requirements.
• Qualifood Professional cleaning solutions specifically designed for the food industry, addressing hygiene requirements in food processing and handling environments.
• Qualimilk Professional cleaning solutions for dairy companies and cooperatives.
• Polylar Floor treatment brand offering liquid waxes (red, colorless, green variants), powder detergents in sachets, and cleaning cloths for floor care.
• Aquapool Pool maintenance products including floating cleaners and chemical treatments for pool water care.
• Bianco Oral Care Oral care product line including toothbrushes and related items; produced internally at the Bianco factory.
• Indy Cryl Automotive air freshener brand featuring gel air fresheners, car fresheners (Carro Novo, Baby, Sport variants), and dashboard fresheners in various scents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminates up to 99.9% of bacteria
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SGS (Sociedade Geral de Suprimentos)coreOthers · 1 June 2025SGS provides the 2030 Today certification program for Sustainable Development Goals. The company received recertification in 2025 and has achieved 11 SDGs through this partnership, demonstrating commitment to sustainability governance.
• Usina CloruncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Usina Clorun for construction of a new factory in Uberlândia. This represents a significant manufacturing capacity expansion and vertical integration initiative for the company's chlorate and chemical production capabilities.
• SettranminorOthersTransportation union partner that participated in the 26th SIPAT event, providing interactive experiences and giveaways at their booth during the safety and health week event.
• Uniube (Universidade de Uberaba)minorOthersEducational institution partner that participated in the 26th SIPAT event, contributing to employee development and awareness programs.
• SESI SchoolminorOthersSESI (Serviço Social da Indústria) school partner that participated in the 26th SIPAT event, supporting workplace safety education initiatives.
• AlgarminorOthersTechnology and services company that participated in the 26th SIPAT event as a partner providing interactive experiences at their booth.
• COP 30coreOthersThe company was invited to participate in COP 30 (Conference of the Parties), one of the world's most relevant forums on climate change, to be held in Belém-PA from November 10-21, 2025. This recognition demonstrates the company's leadership in sustainability practices and climate action.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Química Amparo: Brazilian household cleaning and hygiene products manufacturer with a similar broad portfolio of detergents, disinfectants, and laundry care. Directly comparable as a domestic Brazilian CPG cleaning rival competing for the same retail shelves and institutional customers.
• Ypió: Brazilian cleaning products manufacturer focused on disinfectants and household cleaners. Direct competitor in the hard-surface and disinfectant categories where Start Química's Azulim and Vorel brands compete.
• Bombril: Iconic Brazilian cleaning products brand (steel wool, disinfectants, detergents). Overlaps directly with Start Química's household cleaning line and competes in the same mass-market retail channels across Brazil.

Emerging players

• Diversey: Global provider of professional and institutional cleaning and hygiene solutions. Directly comparable to Start Química's Start PRO, Galeno, Qualifood, and Qualimilk institutional cleaning lines.
• Ecolab Brasil: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions with strong Brazilian institutional cleaning presence. Competes with Start Química's institutional and food-industry cleaning brands (Qualifood, Galeno).

Broad incumbents

• SC Johnson: Global CPG incumbent with strong household cleaning presence in Brazil (Pato, Mr. Músculo). Overlaps with Start Química's household cleaning and disinfectant lines and represents a key incumbent competitor.
• Reckitt Benckiser Brasil: Multinational CPG with leading disinfection and hygiene brands (Lysol, Veja) competing in Brazilian household and institutional cleaning. Direct overlap with Start Química's disinfectant and sanitizer portfolio.
• Procter & Gamble Brasil: Multinational CPG with significant Brazilian cleaning and hygiene presence (Ariel, Ace). Competes across household cleaning and laundry care with Start Química's portfolio.
• Henkel Brasil: Global CPG incumbent with major laundry and home care brands (OMO Pro, Brilux) present in Brazil. Overlaps with Start Química's Tuff laundry and household cleaning lines.
• Unilever Brasil: Subsidiary of Unilever, one of the largest CPG multinationals operating in Brazil. Competes across home care, hygiene and personal care with global brands (OMO, Comfort, Cif) overlapping with Tuff, Asseptgel and Azulim.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MrStartQuimica
• Facebookfacebook.com/start.quimica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/start-qu%C3%ADmica
• Instagraminstagram.com/start_quimica_oficial
• Xx.com/StartQuimica

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Start Chemistry